Far East Travels Podcast

Join me for travel chat and discussion walking through the historic and Unesco World Heritage designated Georgetown, in Penang, Malaysia. I've spent lots of time in Kuala Lumpur and East Malaysia, (Borneo), but for some reason I've put off visiting Penang, now wondering what was I thinking. This is a wonderful town to explore and enjoy architecture and more pre-WWII houses than anywhere else in So...

Visit my PaI have been a frequent visitor to Malaysia now for several years and it's been one of the biggest surprises for me. I never thought or knew how much I would enjoy Malaysia whether it be West, or East,(Borneo-Sabah/Sarawak). A wonderful diverse culture, some of the best food on the planet and wonderful wildlife and parks. In this episode I discuss food adventures with an upcoming trip to...

Discussion on my recommended times for traveling in Southeast Asia and a little bit of travel inspiration on how to start to make your dreams come true with a life abroad whether it be for work or retirement. Travel inspiration and information is so accessible now through social media that it has created a huge thirst for an unconvential lifestyle-either living or retiring abroad. With the help of...

Americans are still banned from entering North Korea at the time of publishing this episode. Otto Warmbier was a U.S. citizen and college student visiting North Korea in 2015/2016 when he was arrested and imprisoned accused of stealing a propoganda poster from the hotel where he was staying. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in prison but was released to the U.S. in 2017 in a coma and vege...

Recently I've noticed more negative tweets and other posts on social media denouncing begpackers. In case you didn't know, a begpacker is basically a backpacker that is soliciting for funds through panhandling, busking, or selling postcards in order to continue with their travels. I personally have no issues with this as long as noone is being harmed or exploited in the process but their lately th...

After mobile phones, bank cards, and cash, what is your essential travel item. That one thing that you always must take with you on your trip. I share with you mine and listeners and followers share their's as well! If you'd like to share with me your must have travel items send me a message on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/johnsaboesfareasttravels/ or Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FarEa...

Thanks to those who share their travel stories, whether they are funny, serious, thought-provoking, or just very interesting. Would love to hear from you and your funniest, scariest, or life-changing experience while traveling. Follow me on Twitter/Periscope where I regularlily chat with followers about travel-@FarEast_Travels. You can also connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j...

Just quick update on the current power outage situation in Cambodia. Some hotels and guesthouses do have their own generators but expect power outages overall during the current dry season. Hopefully this situation will resolve itself with the coming rainy season soon. Please send me your questions on travel throughout East Asia, Southeast Asia, or South Asia to john@fareasttravels.com or on my In...

Continuing my walkabout series from The Ho Chi Minh City Museum To The Reunification Palace. I plan on doing more of these walkabout talks throughout the region in the coming months. I always welcome your questions or comments on the podcast. Lately I've been getting messages either on Instagram or Facebook from people planning on visiting Vietnam in the coming weeks/months. There were over 2.5 mi...

Continuing my series of walkabout chats in this episode discussion on sleeper buses, (not my favorite mode of transportation), Buddhist Temple etiquette, and more topics as I walk around Saigon. Have a travel question or a suggestion for a topic. Send me an email to john@fareasttravels.com or message me on Instagram-johnsaboesfareastravels:https://www.instagram.com/johnsaboesfareasttravels/. Help...

Interested in cheap brand name running shoes, knock off goods and souvenirs when in Saigon? Then head for the Ben Thanh Market as many visitors do! In this episode I get back to doing walkabout podcasts, usually with commentary and questions from live-streaming followers. Ben Thanh Market is probably the most visited tourist site in all of Ho Chi Minh City. Even if you don't like these places I th...

My guest MJ Klein shares his Bangkok taxi scams at the airports and we chat about traveling authentically in Southeast Asia. These taxi scams are for the most part easily avoidable either by using a ride share app or being prepared. It also helps to know which airport in Bangkok your flight is leaving from. Just remember there are two international airports in Bangkok, Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi...

This will be the start of an on-going series on travel scams with first-hand accounts from followers on my livestream accounts, Periscope an Facebook, as well as contributions via messaging and emails. Send me your scam or how you almost got scammeed and how to avoid these incidents and I will share them on an upcoming episode of the podcast. Either by email, john@fareasttravels.com or via Faceboo...

Had my Visa card retained by an ATM machine this week in Ho Chi Minh City inspiring me to create a what I hope is helpful information to prepare you for your next trip. My card has an app that locks it and I forgot to take the lock off-the result? It was eaten. So fortunately I have back-up plans and this is one of the most important preparations when traveling abroad. Some of these tips might see...

Coming to you from Saigon with a quick catch up chat and some travel idea getaways, two of my favorite places-Da Lat and Can Tho. Da Lat is a popular honeymoon getaway for Vietnamese and is a wise choice to beat the tropical heat. With a different climate there are some interesting dishes to sample as well. Extremely friendly locals who love to engage with foreigners will be found in Can Tho and D...

Do you have a story of extraordinary service from one of your visits to Asia? Send me your best story of service to john@fareasttravels.com ! Would love to share out some great service stories! Thanks so much for listening and subscribing to the podcast! Help others discover the Far East Travels Podcast by writing a review in the iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/far-east-travels-p...

I’m sharing out some advice again on dealing with traveler’s diarrhea after a personal episode of it this past week. Is there a way to avoid it? Completely? If there is I still haven’t discovered it but there are a few basics that can lessen the likelihood. Going slow at first helps-don’t overindulge and allow your body to adjust to everything before you dive into strange new foods. For some count...

Shanghai, China is one of the world's most popular travel destinations. Loaded with atmosphere, amazing food, shopping and entertainment it's really hard to make a decision on what to do or where to eat because of the vast choices. I invited Travelblogger Bruno Black to help share his advice on what to do and where to eat as he is a frequent traveller to Shanghai. In the first in a series of episo...

Always a pleasure to talk to expat Niall Gibson who is a Kyoto travel expert and the founder of Kyoto Fun and Kyoto VIP! Niall gives us a 2019 update on the cherry blossom season from one of the top travel destinations in the world-Kyoto, Japan! Sakura, or cherry blossom season is the busiest time to visit Kyoto so Nialls give us his strategies on how to get the most out of season and some alterna...

This podcast I'm asked by followers what are the main differences I've noticed between Taipei, my last base, and Ho Chi Minh City, after the first 10 days. There are many differences and I've had a bit of a jump start on knowing them after a few visits here over the past 4 years. Certainly from a cost of living point of view there are big differences. There are also more choices amongst internatio...

Another update on day 8 of living in Ho Chi Minh City. The last few days have been good as I adjust to the climate which I'm told will be scorching hot before the rains start in June. With the heat also comes an adjustment of diet, mostly eating lighter, and of course remembering to stay hydrated-absolutely essential. I miss the water fountains and stations that Taipei City provides it's populatio...

Bringing this episode to you from one of the most iconic spots in Ho Chi Minh City-across from Notre Dam Cathedral.*Note, during the episode I mentioned the Notre Dam Cathedral was finished in 1892, in fact it was completed in 1883. Thanks for listening to this update as I get settled in to on of the most dynamic cities on the planet! The first few days have been a little exhausting as I recover f...

One off or one time donations to the podcast are always greatly appreciated! You can make a donation to the podcast here:http://paypal.me/JohnASaboe I'm starting an ongoing series of life in Asia through the eyes of expats living across East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. In my first episode I've invited my friend from Taiwan MJ Klein who is originally from Boston, Massachusetts. MJ has been...

I put together a short podcast episode of my favorite places to visit around the Angkor Ruins. I visited most of these sites multiple times during my last stay in Siem Reap and would go back to visit all of them anytime. Here they are in case you want the spelling for your research. Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom(The Bayon Temple), Ta Prohm,(Tomb Raider Temple), East Gate of Angkor Thom, Banty Srea, Klea...

Don’t forget to listen live using the Spreaker app every Sunday night-10pmEST. You can also catch the live simulcast on Periscope(Far East Travels). Send your questions to john@fareasttravels.com or message me on: Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FarEastAdventureTravel/ or https://www.facebook.com/johnsaboeofficial/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/johnsaboesfareasttravels/ Help others discove...